1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to computer apparatus and, in a preferred embodiment thereof, more particularly provides a mobile portable computer docking/office station for use in an automotive vehicle and/or a hotel room.
2. Description of Related Art
When returning to their office or home from a business trip, many portable computer users connect the portable computer which they used on the trip to the docking station portion of their office or home computer work station to connect the portable computer is to the various components of their home or off ice computer work station such as a printer, desktop monitor and the like. As is well known, the user's home or office computer work station is typically more comfortable to use then his portable computer by itself, and provides him with the ability to easily perform many more business work tasks than the stand-alone portable computer.
However, the various docking and peripheral components which are likely to be individually incorporated in the typically stationary home or business computer work station are simply not well suited to be carted off on the usual business trip with the relatively diminutive portable computer, and are equally ill suited for use "on the road" in a car or hotel room. Accordingly, in the past the business traveler/computer user has traditionally been constrained, until he returned from the trip, to the limited work functions that could be incorporated by the manufacturer into his portable computer.
In view of this it would be highly desirable to provide the business traveler with a portable computer system which more closely approximated the computing and other work capabilities of the typical home or office computer work station.